Nancy Stephens, state director of Imagination Library of New Mexico and executive director of Imagination Library of Grant County, discusses Dolly's impact on children's literacy in New Mexico. Here's a transcript of her conversation with KRWG's KC Counts:
KC Counts:
Can you tell me, Nancy, obviously I think many would agree, Dolly Parton, a national treasure, who made great impacts in many communities across the country through the Imagination Library. Tell us about how you got involved with that and how long ago.
Nancy Stephens:
Sure. So in 2014, so 12 years ago, I am a social worker and I had a job change and so I was looking for something different and I saw a part-time program coordinator job with Imagination Library of Grant County. And our 501 nonprofit was started by Barbara and Loren Nelson. They were retired educators and they were so passionate about the program that they made it their goal to spread Imagination Library throughout New Mexico. So they hired me part-time and as time went along, they decided to work on succession planning and I became executive director. And in January of this year, I became state director because you may know that our governor a little more than a year ago signed an executive order establishing a statewide program and all of our local program partners throughout the state, they cover every zip code in New Mexico. And Dolly was actually going to come last August, a year ago, but a day before her scheduled visit, she had some health issues and had to cancel. So we, you know, we were hoping to reschedule, but of course the thing we cared most about was just Dolly being okay.
KC Counts:
That moment of getting that executive order must have been a pretty big moment. Can you describe what it was like?
Nancy Stephens:
Yeah, it felt like a lot of work had come to fruition. I know that it was not only the Nelson's vision that every child in New Mexico could participate in the Imagination Library, but that goal was mine as well. And I know a lot of other people shared that goal. So it was many years - we visited every county, mostly led by the Nelsons, trying to talk with leaders at nonprofits and schools. In order to be a local program partner, you have to either be a 501 nonprofit or a school. And so they spread the word and were able to get an affiliate or a partner in every county. And then we were able to add every zip code. So it was quite a process. But it was very satisfying to be able to say that we have an official statewide program.
KC Counts:
What does Imagination Library do for kids?
Nancy Stephens:
We send books to kids from birth until they turn five. Every month, their name, the kids' names are on the mailing label so that it feels like a personal gift in the mail. It comes straight to the kids at their home or in their PO box and that way they establish their own home library and pride in owning their own books. And the goal, of course, is that by the time they go to kindergarten, they know how books work. They've been exposed to a variety of stories and vocabulary. And my favorite thing is that the books serve as a prompt for the adult to read to them. So you know that, you know, kids are spending time cuddled up next to parents and grandparents enjoying.
KC Counts:
I was quite reluctant to learn to read myself because I didn't want to give up that time. See, I knew if I started reading on my own, no one would have to read to me anymore.
Nancy Stephens:
I always tell people, just because your kids learn how to read, don't stop reading to them because it is so enjoyable for both people.
KC Counts:
So why do you think this, why was Dolly so passionate about literacy?
Nancy Stephens:
Well, what I've heard is that her father couldn't read. And many of the families in her home community in Tennessee didn't have any books in their house. So you know, people had no books. Her father couldn't read, although he was very bright. And so she thought that a good way to use her fame and fortune would be to rectify that. So she started in Tennessee and it became so popular that she made it a replicable model and then it really just took off.
KC Counts:
And tell me about the Nelson's interest in the mission.
Nancy Stephens:
Yeah so they were educators in Minnesota and Barbara Nelson loved music, loved music she still enjoys music and singing and when they moved to Grant County, they wanted to give back and they knew about Dolly's story and how Dolly started Imagination Library in a mining community. So they thought, well, they could do that here. So they started actually with one zip code in Bayard. In 2010, their first book order was just to eight children in Bayard. And then they went to every possible community event. They tabled outside Walmart and the library and the park. And over the course of just a year or two, they were able to sign up 80% of kids under 5 in Grant County. So then that's why the Dollywood Foundation asked them to spearhead a state expansion effort.
KC Counts:
What else do you think is important for people to know about what this lasting legacy is and what it means to the community?
Nancy Stephens:
Well, you know, I've talked to a lot of people about Dolly Parton and she is just universally loved. And I think there's a few reasons for that. One is she's he just radiates light and goodness. You never hear her or you never would hear her talk bad about people. She tried to always stay positive. She loved everyone regardless of, you know, their background or where they came from in life. She valued creativity and imagination, thus the name Imagination Library. And she really did believe that anything is possible if you follow your dream. And the whole point of Imagination Library was to inspire a love of reading, because I think she knew that it could be life changing for kids, you know, if they go to school and they have success with reading, there's so many studies that show that they will have success in life and all of those outcomes as far as like graduating and being able to go on to careers that are meaningful, that all comes as a result of being prepared for school success and that a lot of that starts with reading.
KC Counts:
Now, Dolly had been out to visit Grant County, right? at some point?
Nancy Stephens:
No, unfortunately not.
KC Counts:
I think the Nelsons must have gone to her then.
Nancy Stephens:
Oh, you're right. Yes, so the Nelsons did get to meet Dolly. I believe it was at a concert in Phoenix.
KC Counts:
I see.
Nancy Stephens:
Shortly after they started and had so much success signing up kids, they went to a concert and they got like a VIP backstage pass and they got to take a photo with Dolly.
KC Counts:
Well, you said, and I've seen, I think I've seen interviewers try to trip Dolly up on that positivity, right? Like, try to set the trap for her to say something negative about whether it's political or whatever. And she just never fell for it. So you are certainly right. She was able to stay positive no matter what. And it made me think of the song "Jolene" because let's face it, even in that song, she's pretty complimentary to Jolene.
Nancy Stephens:
Right! Yeah, there's an unconditional regard for everyone, for all people. And that's just really powerful. And I think our world needs more of that.
KC Counts:
More Dolly's. All right. Well, tell folks where to learn more about Imagination Library.
Nancy Stephens:
Sure. So the best place is imaginationlibrary.com. You can find out all kinds of information about how the program started, how it works. You can sign up children who are under age five right there on the website. You can also access research about the power of the program in terms of early literacy and parents reading more to the kids that they're caring for. So yeah, that's the spot. Imagination library.com.
KC Counts:
Now, with Dolly's passing, are there concerns about the future of the program, or is it funding itself at this point? How does it continue to operate?
Nancy Stephens:
The Dollywood Foundation is the organization that administers the kind of the infrastructure of the program, and the way it works is there's a secure database, which is called the book order system, and then local partners have a coordinator who can access that system to enroll children and update the addresses and every month books are processed and mailed through Penguin Book Publishing and then the United States Postal Service. So the system really is very efficient and well designed and I don't expect that there will be any changes to it. So I expect things to continue and keep growing.
KC Counts:
What else is important for people to know Nancy that maybe I haven't asked you about yet?
Nancy Stephens:
If people are to contribute to their local program partners, you can do that also through the website. And your listeners should know that we're very fortunate in New Mexico; the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department reimburses each local partner 80% of book costs. So what that means is we can deliver books to a child fora whole year, so12 books for about $30. And with the state reimbursement, that would be $24 that we get reimbursed. So each program has to fundraise for about $6 per child per year, which is, you know, much less of a fundraising burden than it could be thanks to all of that great support. But there is opportunity for people to contribute if they would like to. And now because we have a statewide program, one thing that's pretty we can offer families the option of getting bilingual books in both English and Spanish.
KC Counts:
All right. Nancy Stevens, state director of the Imagination Library of New Mexico and executive director of Imagination Library of Grant County. Thank you so much for talking with us about Imagination Library and Dolly's lasting legacy. We appreciate it.
Nancy Stephens:
Thank you so much, KC.
Here's a link to Imagination Library online.
